Industrial truck



0 t. e, 1931. E. J. AB'BE 1,826,490

INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Filed May 2a, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 1 amp Oct. 6, 1931. ,5, J, ABBE 1,826,490

INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Filed May 28, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 6, 1931. EQJ. ABBE 1,826,490

INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Filed May 2a, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet smama 6,1931

' UNITED STATES PATENT j oer-Ice 3'. A'BIBE, 0mm, OHIO, AS8IGHOB TO THE ELWELL-PABKEB m0 COMPANY OF WI), OHIO, A WBPORATIOH OI OHIO nmusram mane;

Application fled Kay 28, 1988. Serial No. 881,178.

This invention relates to load handling,

mechanism, and specifically to an industrial truck of the tier lift type. The prim object is to provide an improved. and simp ed platform or container tilting mechamsm:

A further object is to provide a simple mechanism by which a platform or container may be tilted with a comparatively small expenditure of power. A further specific object is to provide an improved mechanism by which a liftable platform or load carrying body may be tilted in any desired lifted position, that is to say,

independently of the raising and lowering of 5 such platform or body.

A. further specific object is to rovide a load carrier tilting mechanism in which power may be manually applied to tilt the carrier, and wherein such power is automatically cut off at any desired limit of tilting movement of the carrier.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following de' scription relating to the accompanying drawing. The essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

' In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a plan view of an industrial truck incorporating my invention Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the truck shown in Fig. 1, and showing a load carrying platform in normal position, that is to say, untilted; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the forward portion of the truck showing the relative position of various parts of the platform tilting mechanism in platform tilting position Fig. 4 is a detail sectional plan view of a power throw-off device, as indicated by the line i -4 on Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the forward portion ,of the truck with the platform broken away to show the arrangement of certain of the parts of the tiltin mechanism; and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic lllustration of separate cable arrangements for lifting and tilting the platform. 1

In the use of industrial trucks of the ty e above mentioned, it is desirable to tilt t e platform while at varying heights from the ground, for example, the height of the sur- 5 3 face onto which the load is to be discharged battery housing 1 there is a rigid upright in any way inter ere with or impose addiso 'tional burdens on the load lifting arrangement. A feature of the device is that considerable tilting movement of a platform or the like may be effected quickly and with a small amount of power; I have shown the present embodiment of my invention associated with an industrial truck of the general type shown in the prior patent to C. E. Cochran, No. 1,399,543, issued December 6, 1921, but it is to be understood that the novel arrangement of elementsherein described and claimed may be adapted for employment in any analogous use. i

The truckherein shown comprises a body portion forming a battery housing 1, this housing being formed in vpart by structural members which afford a bracing frame work, and which support a power drive including a pair of traction wheels 2. The frame work has a forwardly extending low slung forward extension 3 at the end of which are a pair of dirigible wheels 4 mounted on brackets 5. A

suitable controlling arrangement for the usual traction wheel controlling linkage includes a steering arm 6 (see Figs. 1 and 2) which is in reach of the operator as he stands on a pair of pivoted platform members 7.

These members, incidently, form part of the truck control. At the forward portion of the structural frame 10 which may be suita braced and which afiords a trackway for a carriage 12 (see Fig. 3). The carriage in turn supports the platform.

The carriage has a vertically extending portion partially housed by the side members forming the. structure 10, and which is rovided with pairs of rollers 13 and 14, t ese 7 rollers being guided by flanges, such as 10, on the side structural membersofthe frame 10.. The platform support is directly afforded by horizontal forward extensions of the carriage 12, shown at 15, and comprisin a pair of rigid bars, one being shown in p an in Fig. 4. The platform is designated 17 and has downwardly formed side flanges 18 con-. tinuing around the front edge of the platform as at '18. The-flange 18 carries a pan of brackets 19, one being shown in Fig. 5,

and the brackets in turn carry a hinge bar extendin through and supported by the horizontal ars 15. At its rear edge the plat- .form rests on a pair of brackets 21 secured to the members and extending outwardly therefrom, as sug ested in Fig. 5. These members 21 are -shaped and inverted to provide depending side flanges 21' at each side of the platform.

The platform ma be raised and lowered a b means of a cable oist, the primary power e ement of which may comprise an electric motor (not shown), suitably controlled from the operators position, and reduction gearing, diagrammatically shown at 30, which transmits ower to a drum 31 near the base of'a truc and within the main housing.

The drum carries a pair of cable stretches 32 which pass upwardly over sheaves 33, then downwardly over sheaves 34 which move with the carriage 12, and then upwardly to an anchor 35 suspended from a top of the frame 10. An suitable safety devices may be used to cut 0 the'power to-the motor which drives the drum 31 whenever the carriage has 3 reached its uppermost and lowermost positions. v For tilting the platform 18, I provide a power hoist indicated generally at 40, supported on the backside of the frame 10. This includes a motor 41, reduction gearing in a housing 42, anda pair of drums 43, mounted on a common shaft 44 driven by the reduction gearin' Suitaibly fastened to the drums are ca le stretches 45 which pass u wardly over sheaves 46 carried on a shaft 4 at the top of the structure 10. The cable stretches then pass downwardly first underneath a pair of flanged guides in the nature of sheaves indicated at 49, secured in brackets 48, the brackets, as shown, beingfastened to the rear edge of the platform, (see Fig. 3). The cables 45 then pass forwardly over guides 'or idlers'50 which are turnably mounted on pivot bars 51 which from the'connection between respective toggle pairs comprising rigid links 52 and 53. The links 53 are 1n pairs, one pair at each side of the platform,

' and there is asingle link 52 at each side.

The links 53 are paired, mainly to provide 6 an ample bearing support at eachend of the pivot bars 51. The links 53 are pivotally anchored on studs 54 carried on the depending flanges 21, and the links 52 are pivotally anchored at 55 to brackets 56 rigidly secured on the lowerside of the platform.

From the guides 50, the cables 45 pass for- I wardly over guiding idlers 58,,mounted for freerotation on the flanges 21, and then downwardly to anchoring brackets 60 .car-

ried by the frame members 3 of the truck.

The anchorage at 60 includes C-shaped flanges extending laterally from the truck about which the ends of the cables are passed and secured as by means of'eye-bolts 61.

In Figs. 3 and 4,- particularly, I have shown a controller arrangement which may be of any suitable construction, as, for example, the usual drum t by means of a handle .65 rigid with the controller drum shaft 66. The handle is shown in its neutral position in Fig. 3, that is to say, in this position the power to the motor 41 is cut off. Movement of the handle may controllable as be such that.when the shaft 66 is rotated clockwise the motor may be started to rotate the drum clockwise. This causes the cables to pull upwardly, the pull bein first transmittedto the guides 49, thereby rectly raising the rear end of the platform, the idlers 50 acting for the time substantially as anchors. After the platform has been thus tilted somewhat about its pivot 20, the toggles are spread sufliciently to allow the direct rearward pullv of the cables to effectively act on the idlers' 50, to further spread the toggles, thus further raising the platform, as will be understood from Fig. 3.

Suitable-stops 52 are provided on the toggle' links 52 which extend outwardly to engage the underside of the links 53, to there-- y positively prevent overthrow of the platform in its tilting movement.

In order to effectively govern the motor 41, so that after the operator has started its movement in either direction, it" will be stopped automatically when the platform has reached the desired tilted position, and

'again before it has completely settled into normal position, I provide a power cut-off arrangement, such as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 4- particularly, I show one end of the shaft 44 as provided with an adjustable clamping collar 70 arranged to be clamped onto the shaft, as by bolts-71, the collar having a threaded sleeve at 72 surrounding the shaft. At the outward end of the sleeve are is manually turned clockwise (as viewed in Fig. 3) to start the motor in operation to tilt the platfornuthus giving the nut member 74 a partial rotation, counterclockwise, on the threads of the sleeve 72.. The direction of the threads is such as to cause the nut member 74 to then travel toward the collar 70 as the shaft is rotated, the travel being such as to allow the platform to be tilted the desired amount before the nut reaches the collar.

When the collar. is reached, the nut 7 4 will jam, and then be rotated clockwise with the lid wardly toward the innermost jam nut 7 3,

and when the platform is substantially com pletely lowered the nut member 74 engages the j am nut, and is carried oounterclockwlse to again restore the controller to neutral position.

In order to vary the angle of tilting the platform, it is simply necessary to adjust the distance between the jam nuts-and collar 70, the collar being freed by releasing the clamp to efiect the proper adjustment.

I claim: I

1. In a load handling mechanism, the com bination of an elevator and a tiltable load carrier thereon, a cable having a running connection with the elevator and load carrier so arranged that raising movement of the carrier does not affect the cable to move any part thereof lengthwise, said running connection comprising horizontally spaced guides for the cable respectively carried by the elevator and load carrier, whereby a predetermined pull on the cable causes the carrier to tilt irrespective of its raised or lowered position, a power hoist arranged to pull on the cable, manualiy controlled means to initiate the operation of the hoist,'and means governed by a predetermined period of operation of the power hoist to automatically stop the hoist.

2. In a load handling apparatus, the combination of an upright guideway, a carriage movably mounted on the guideway, a tiltable load carrier mounted on the carriage, raising means to raise and lower the carriage on the guldeway, means includlng a power operated mechanlsm arranged to tilt the load carrier,

. means to initiate the operation" of said mechanism, and means governed by a pre-determlned period of operation of the mechanism to automatically stop mechanism.

3. in a lead handling mechanism, the combinatlon of an upright guideway, a carriage mounted on the gui'deway, g tiltable load carrier mounted on the carriage, raising means to raise and lower the carriage on the guide- .way, power operated mechanlsm arranged to tilt the load carrier, means governed by a predetermined period of operation of the power mechanism to automatically'stop the tiltin movement, and means to vary the peri of operation and thereby control the angle of tilt imparted to the load carrier.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

' EDWARD J. ABBE.

the operation'of such 

